Wicked: For Good (2025) | Film Review

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are back in Wicked: For Good to conclude the story of two witches on various paths. But are Elphaba and Glinda (or GAlinda, if you insist) just as compelling in the rousing final chapter of the Wicked storyline? Well, yes and no.

As far as Erivo and Grande, they are both as masterful as ever. Elphaba (Erivo) is resigned to her station in life, as the fascist Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Madame Morrible (Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh) have branded her as the Wicked Witch of the West. Meanwhile, Glinda (Grande) is walking the wire of collusion and defiance, confused which direction she can go to bring peace to Oz, while simultaneously basking in the glow of adornment. All of the actors still soar, especially Jeff Goldblum, as he finally is afforded the opportunity to open up his Wizard of Oz to Goldblum’s complete arsenal of vaudevillian charm.

Also, the production and set pieces from director Jon M. Chu are magnificent, bringing a fictional world of imagination and invention roaring to life in colorful ways. There is especially an enchanting wedding setup that rivals Chu’s own Crazy Rich Asians. A vibrant, stunning world. So if the acting is stellar, and the production is glorious, where’s the “no”?

Well, the songs simply are not catchy at all. Other than Wonderful and For Good, each piece is a bit of a dud. Also, there is so much start-and-stop with every vocal rendition, that it becomes almost frustrating at times. Imagine if you were listening to a song on the radio and your passenger kept turning the volume down, and then imagine that over and over. Now add to it they’re just not catchy.

The first film is near perfection because, as the musical does, it allows the story to live and breathe on its own, while the sequel is forced to contend with The Wizard of Oz of it all. So much of the story is forcing those connections and skipping fleshing out of pivotal plot turns. Plus, entire side-stories are rushed, barely explored, or not suitably fleshed out (Marissa Bode’s Nessarose and Jonathan Bailey’s Fiyero most of all). It’s as if the screenwriters threw a bucket of water of the full potential of this story, and it hurts our engagement as well as the pacing.

All told, Wicked: For Good is a solid conclusion and a decent sequel, but it’s a mere shadow of Part 1. The songs never sing, the story never soars, and certain plot turns feel forced simply to connect the cinematic dots. It’s entertaining enough, but this is far from Wicked.